T-Mobile G1 for $79.99 at Costco!
By James Falconer on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 at 11:48 AM PST In Android, GPhone, T-Mobile
As I suspected, the prices on the original Android device, the T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) G1, are dropping… Fast. The other day I reported that the G1 was on sale for $98 at Amazon. Now, it looks like there’s another sweet deal to be had on the Android-powered device. Costco has the G1 on sale for $79.99! That’s right, Costco has printed a coupon that will take $100 off the regular price of $179.99 on the G1, PLUS you get a Bluetooth headset with the deal. Not too shabby at all. The only requirement is you must activate the device at the Costco Wireless Kiosk when you purchase.
I wonder how low the prices will go on the G1 as the days go by… $59.99? $39.99? Free? 
[Via: Phandroid]
Wow! That’s an awesome price, for what is essentially a handheld wireless computer!
Not so fast!
Let’s read what the coupon actually says: “UP TO $100 Off” the G1.
Those who shop wireless at Costco know that a 3-tiered pricing plan has been in effect since late ‘08. To date, phones on coupons may vary in their discounts, DEPENDING ON THE TIER. It is possible that the $100 off may apply only to a higher priced tier, i.e., $99.99 (based on today’s price), while a smaller discount is applied to the lowest $179.99 price.
Nevertheless, we are talking sub-$100 pricing (even if it’s by a penny), so haul ass to your nearest Costco Monday before the inventory runs out.
CostcoInsider, you are trying to make this way more complicated than it actually is. The “up to
$100″ is there depending on whether you you are out of contract or not:
If you click on the link to Phandroid whence the story came, you will find a photo of the back
side of the coupon with the details, which are: “T-Mobile G1 is $100 off instantly with 2-year
new activation or $60 off instantly with 2-year qualified upgrades.” The regular price of the
G1 at Costco is $179.99 (I bought mine there — I know what they cost), so for new activations,
net price therefore becomes $79.99.
I got a free car charger and free activation (rebate) as well as the bluetooth headset when I
bought my G1 at Costco (I don’t know whether or not the free activation applies with this deal).
I just got back from my local Costco, coupon in hand. Their “base price” was $229.00. Because I’m already a T-Mobile customer, I was only eligible for a $60 discount based on the coupon. And of course, I have to reset to a new 2 year agreement.
So, $169 for the unit, a new 2 year contract in an area that doesn’t have 3G yet anyway.
Not that big of a deal. And even though I’d love to play around with the G-1, not at that price.
Mark G, you are correct about the upgrade price. And since there are no other instant or mail-in rebates to be had, the new line price during this promotion is $129.99 versus $169.99 for upgrades.
Sorry, webby, about making it overly complicated, but given the actual pricing it’s clear it’s not as straightforward as you expected. In this case the instant discount you received earlier is not applied during the run of the coupon.
However, free activation and a free accessory bundle are everyday Costco benefits.